Hey guys.

im looking for a bit of advice.
I've been assigned the role of restoring my grandad's 79' Mini Clubman. Which is great because i have loved that car since i was a kid. I'm not new to cars, i have done HEAPS of work on 90's laser tx3's and mazda 323's, but i am pretty new to minis.

I have started dismantling the car and its going to need a lot of work. im going to take it back to a bare shell and start again. im planning to get it all up and going again and hopefully do some racing in it. Ill have a decent budget for the car, but not massive.

so far my plans are to get the body up to new condition, fit some 13x7 superlites with flares (just because i love the look.) and possibly coilover suspension, althought im not too sure how compatable it is with my current suspension.

The motor in it at the moment, im told, is a 998cc and it seems pretty worn out. I was thinking of replacing it with a 1275cc motor, but im not sure what else there is. I have considered doing a later model japanese motor conversion, like a starlet gt. But i dont think im going to be able to afford something like that. what would you reccomend for a street car that will see some weekend trackwork?

Im told a disk brake conversion is also a must. ive seen kits for the mini. but can you use other cars brake setups?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Matt

yes for a fast street acr/ track car, disk brakes are a must.

ive been told by a reputable mini supplier taht coil over s are a waste of time.

i have hilos in mad-mk1, which means you can wind the height higher and lower as you please.

other tahn taht, youre eon the right track,

starlet and vtec conversions cost big money, i was told to expect 10k.

by teh time you get your front cut, subframe made, engineered, roadworthys, lots of penys.!!

cheers jamie

_________________
-jamie-
1963morris 850
1965 solid side van
1994 rover racecar

i wouldnt bother with other cars brake setups because then you'll need engineering certificates etc,
get some 8.4" discs, maybe go with slotted or crossdrilled rotors, and possible upgrade to 4 pot calipers or some such.

13x7 wheels require cutting of the front guards, and you'll need spaced drums on the back if you havent got already.

yeah i wouldnt bother with coilovers unless you're really serious about competition or bling factor, the standard suspension is really fantastic, and you'll only need to tickle it with some good shocks, hilos and maybe some adjustable camber.

the hybrid or jap motor conversions really are a huge amount of work, and will cost a huge amount of money unless you do most of the work yourself.. there is plenty of information and advice if you do want to go that route though.

i chose to do a boosted a-series because it was cheaper, but also didnt require as many modifications and i didnt have to chop up the engine bay to make it fit etc.

1275 is the way to go if you want to go fast, but you'll have to decide whether its a street driven car, or more of a racer/weekend warrior.. and if you want to run boost or go with a high compression N/A build.

do some searching in the mods section, theres plenty of information about building performance engines in there

From my understanding 13 inch wheels are not very good for track work, thats why most of the guys run 10inch wheels for the track. But if you decided to fit 8.4inch breaks then you will need to fit 12inch wheels as 10's wont fit over them.

As the others have said, coil overs are a waste of time, just put some hilo's and some adjustable camber and you can tweak it to suit.

Ryan

_________________
Ryan Filippi
Minis In The Gong
[email protected]
www.minisinthegong.com.au

Thanks for the advice guys.

i have a daily (turbo laser Tx3) so the mini will only bee a weekend/track warrior.

ive looked a bit into turboing it, but i wanna try keep it pretty simple. so i think getting a 1275 and working it a bit might be the way to go.

i wont bother with the coilovers then, i saw a new hi-low setup on minispares that looked ok.

i read about the wheels needing some body work done, ill have to investigate the spaced drums though.
Are the 13's really no good for the track? cos im really just getting them because i love the look, would consider something else if it will handle like rubbish.

spaced drums are easy, just take off the non spaced one, remove the studs, fit the new drums and longer studs.
thats if you dont already have spaced drums on the back.
there are some good threads about wheel sizes, most people who say 13's handle poorly havent had 13's

they give less sidewall flex due to the lower profile, more grip with a wider tyre and allow much bigger and better brakes.

but they do weigh a lot more, make the steering a bit heavier and if incorrectly setup cause some bumpsteer, along with having to cut the guards. oh and they do cause more stress on wheel bearings and the like with more unsprung weight.
but on a weekend/track car i dont see any problem.

yeah screw it, everything i do on my daily has to be practical. so the mini can have the impractical weekend only bits, 13's it is

Whao - some would beg to differ on that remark (like me!)

Good luck with the build Treble, and if there is one bit of advice I could give you, is no matter what engine or suspension you run, dont skimp on the brakes!!

Cheers,
Tricky

_________________
"Not Speeding Officer..........Qualifying"

they are at the top of the list

errr..... is it an aussie clubbie? i was under the impresion mini production finished here in '78???

mokes finished later

feel free to prove me worng, i wont hate you

_________________
78 Leyland Mini - Prince

Yes production finished in October 78. BUT...
The compliance plate was not stamped until the car was ready to be sent to the dealer. So an unpopular colour or trim may have sat in the lot for a few months until it was ready to be sold. So even though the car was built in 78 it was sold with a 79 plate.
(Datsun and Toyota got into trouble for selling two or even three year old cars as brand new cars and then the rules were changed)

ahhhh well there ya go

sorry

_________________
78 Leyland Mini - Prince

dunno, thats what it has on the rego sticker. probably a 78'

think about how much you are going to spend on rebuild and then weigh up a conversion, i reakon you would get close to how much you would spend on a rebuild would get close to a conversion, but thats a good rebuild

_________________
any parts for a 76 clubby pm me or ring 0405 329 326

http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=44717